Lotus at Croft : 19th May

Lotus at Croft : 19th May

Author
Discussion

marshalla

Original Poster:

15,902 posts

208 months

Thursday 2nd May 2013
quotequote all
[posted with Mr. Garlick's kind permission]

Some of you may know that there's an international Elite/Eclat/Excel event happening in North Yorkshire on 18th & 19th May, thanks to support from Lotus Newcastle, Lotusbits Ltd. and Track Torque Racing.

While the 18th is very much the "club" day for the owners (and we'll be out and about providing plenty of spotting opportunities), we have Croft Circuit booked for our exclusive use on Sunday 19th and would like to invite any Lotus enthusiasts to drop in for some tyre-kicking and chat.

In addition to the 2+2 wedges on track, Lotus Newcastle and the Lotus Factory will have some new cars on show, and there will be at least a couple of them running on track as well (as long as we can keep within the noise limits). There may be opportunities for serious buyers to carry out some testing in new cars and for enthusiasts to have passenger laps in the older ones.

Lotusbits are also bringing along their 2 Sunbeam/Excel "special" rally cars and a couple of upgraded and modernised Excels.

Oliver Winterbottom will also be in attendance on the Sunday morning for anyone who would like to hear stories from his time at Lotus working alongside MJK & ACBC amongst others.

There's no charge to attend, all we ask is that you bring your own refreshments and act sensibly.

If you would like to come along, please email me via PH so I can make sure we don't exceed our PL insurance limits for attendance.

P.S. - I know the date clashes with the Jim Clark weekend - this is purely coincidental. That weekend happens to be the one when we could get most wedges running at once, and when Croft could fit us in. It helps that 19th May is ACBC's birthday too - BRING CAKE!



Edited by marshalla on Thursday 2nd May 15:00

marshalla

Original Poster:

15,902 posts

208 months

Tuesday 7th May 2013
quotequote all
If you prefer your fibreglass in less wedgy form, we also seem to have acquired a batch of Elises, Exiges and Evoras as guests of Lotus Newcastle.


marshalla

Original Poster:

15,902 posts

208 months

Friday 17th May 2013
quotequote all
First wedges will be arriving at the Croft Hotel this afternoon. Watch out for us on Saturday around County Durham and North Yorkshire. Lunch in Hawes and back via Bedale (probably).

Skyedriver

18,916 posts

289 months

Sunday 19th May 2013
quotequote all
Glad to see you had better weather today Angus, yesterday must must have been a bit of a pain.
Called in briefly to see what was going on, good selection of Excels. Loved the Evoras, now if the premium bonds come up....

ad243S

978 posts

209 months

Sunday 19th May 2013
quotequote all
Angus on behalf of the guys from LONE many thanks your help in organising today we all had a great day

marshalla

Original Poster:

15,902 posts

208 months

Monday 20th May 2013
quotequote all
ad243S said:
Angus on behalf of the guys from LONE many thanks your help in organising today we all had a great day
You're very welcome - it was great to have the "moderns" there alongside the wedges. Croft seemed pretty happy with the way things ran after the initial chaos (trying to fit 47 drivers into 40 available slots), so we're welcome back. We've already started planning next year's wedge weekend, and I have some ideas for something else in the north-east.

A few piccies of the wedges :


(YAH is the original Eclat Excel prototype, recently fully restored from being a barn find and off to a museum after this last outing)


(One of the Lotusbits Excel-chassised Sunbeam rally cars)








(Not my photos, btw - all pinched from club members posts on our forum).

ad243S

978 posts

209 months

Monday 20th May 2013
quotequote all
Angus a couple of my photos
Wedges

Moderns



I must admit some of those wedges sounded fantastic

marshalla

Original Poster:

15,902 posts

208 months

Monday 20th May 2013
quotequote all
Ollie Winterbottom has just sent me his write-up of the event too (he was guest of honour at our dinner on Saturday and popped in to the track sessions to make sure we were doing it right).

http://www.ngate.plus.com/OW/LOTUSEXCEL_CROFT_2013...

ad243S

978 posts

209 months

Tuesday 21st May 2013
quotequote all
Very good write up and a good weekend was had despite the weather trying its best to spoil it

Skyedriver

18,916 posts

289 months

Tuesday 21st May 2013
quotequote all
Believe 3 of you were spotted at a well known farm shop on the A66 yesterday, wife decided not to give chase despite Father in Law urging her on...

marshalla

Original Poster:

15,902 posts

208 months

Tuesday 21st May 2013
quotequote all
Skyedriver said:
Believe 3 of you were spotted at a well known farm shop on the A66 yesterday, wife decided not to give chase despite Father in Law urging her on...
That'll be the Aberdeen contingent taking the west coast route home.
(saddo that I am, I know all their planned routes).

At least they missed seeing me out on the A1 with my head stuck in the boot of someone else's Excel to apply a percussive adjustment to the fuel pump wink


P.S. - in case I forgot to say it, thanks to all who turned up to participate and spectate. The presence of so many enthusiasts gave the day a very special feeling. Colin would have been chuffed to see so many of us out on his birthday.

marshalla

Original Poster:

15,902 posts

208 months

Saturday 1st June 2013
quotequote all
A wee write-up on the Classic and Sports Car web site : http://www.classicandsportscar.com/news/classic-ca...